Ale 72, around the time I bought my +8 I well knew what it took to create a beautiful flaw free finish on a machine, having restored the cast-off old sports cars of others to then take pride of place in my garage for a while..(-:
As I have typed elsewhere my +8 had been subjected to a nut and bolt restoration by a highly skilled garage business owner who was no stranger to a paint spray gun, or that of the MMC`s average standards in many areas...Today, almost 22 years into ownership of my +8, it wears the scars of the times and miles we have travelled together in the process creating many happy memories.
My old +8 has a slight ding on the rear deck where a falling brick hit it while we were enjoying a bit of a Spanish adventure, I could have repaired it years ago, but as you typed it is now just part of the old Mog`s history, and it seems the older I become the more valued some aspects of history seem to matter more than they did in times past... (-:

It seems all to easy to wish to create and maintain perfection and in the process create a garage queen... Perhaps best not to ask me how I know that... (-: